


Savior Curiosity

by wickedorin



Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: AU, Android, Gen, TW: Suicide, tw: attempted suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 19:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1358479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedorin/pseuds/wickedorin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written as a fill for a drabble request on AwaitingMassProduction: "Re: Suicide.  Only this time, Kurou’s successful in saving the person."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Savior Curiosity

There was a report of a potential suicide attempt; someone was standing on the roof of a building overlooking the ocean from the Gold Stage. Kurou wasn’t prepared. There was no one else close enough to respond, however, police or otherwise; and though he was certain that he didn’t have enough experience with human thought processes to be of much help, he couldn’t very well ignore the call.

He responded, ultimately making his way past a small panicked crowd to walk out onto the roof alone, preparing to say something that he hoped was soothing, when the young man standing at the roof’s edge halted his attempt altogether.

"Life’s not worth living, okay? Just leave me alone."

The android slowed, then stopped as he asked directly, “Why would you think such?”

The young man turned back at least, protesting loudly. “Hey, don’t come any closer!”

"I am not. I will not, if you do not wish me to." Kurou tried to assure.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

"Well… fine." The young man looked back over the edge for several seconds. "It’s because I can’t live here anymore."

"Define ‘here’, please."

”Anywhere.”

"That is quite a large area."

There was actually a laugh at that, and a glance over his shoulder at the very straight-faced android. “Are you a comedian or something?”

"I am not, no."

The young man snorted, looking back over the water. “Well I’m different.”

Kurou reached for the first thing which seemed logical, hoping. “Are you a NEXT, then?”

"Yeah." He sighed. "Yeah."

"What is your power, if I might ask?"

"I guess… I guess I can light myself on fire and be just fine." The young man turned back with a ludicrously false smile. "Pretty useless, right?"

"It seems as though it is dangerous." The android admitted.

"Hey! I thought you were trying to help me, jerk!”

"I meant, it seems dangerous to you." Kurou corrected. "It seems as though it must be frightening, to you and to others."

The offense was still being thought over, it seemed, the young man turning toward Kurou just the slightest bit. “Yeah, well… I guess. My mom was afraid of me, my girlfriend just found out about it and left without saying anything, accidentally scared the shit out of my dog… What’s the point in living, you know?”

"Then what is the point in dying?"

"What?"

Kurou’s processors were very nearly audibly working to find a solution. Some logic that would undoubtedly work. He wasn’t surprised when he wasn’t coming up with any possibilities above a 50% success rate. Honesty, then; his honest thoughts. “You would rather throw your potential away rather than learn how to control it? Harness it? Live a fulfilling life? Apologize to your dog?”

The frown on the young man’s face was quite pronounced as he turned away again. “Oh what the hell do you know? You’re not different.”

It seemed that one of the most important things to do in a situation such as the one that the android found himself in, was not to panic. He was attempting to follow the advice, trying to follow along some sense of logical reasoning. “Different than what, precisely?”

"Than anyone. Any other human being out there."

"You are incorrect."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

Hands on his hips, the young man turned back. “Well why, then?”

"I am not a human being." Kurou admitted entirely too easily.

"Yeah, right."

"I am a self-aware, conscious, sentient android. I am, as far as I know, the only one currently in functioning existence. I am very different."

The pause did seem to be considering, at least. “You’re lying.”

"I am not."

"Prove it, then!"

If insisted. Though, a quick scan of the surrounding area presented a problem. “You are not carrying any electronic devices. How may I prove it to you otherwise?’

"I don’t… Man, I don’t know…” The young man actually looked interested. Distracted from his former task. “Pull of your skin or something!”

Anything but that, as far as Kurou was concerned. “Why must everyone assume that is such an easy task?”

"It isn’t?"

"It is somewhat bothersome. I have to turn off my tactile sensation, for one—"

"What? You mean you’d feel it?" There was that interest again, clear and obvious.

"Yes, I would. Then I would have to wait for it to seal itself fully before I was properly weatherproofed again. The engineer responsible for my skin’s installation would be quite irritated." He attempted to explain.

"Well… I don’t know, there must be something."

"Are you curious to know for certain?" It may have been too early to address the subject directly, but… perhaps it was something like intuition.

The young man looked just the slightest bit offended once again, but he didn’t hesitate. “What, that you’re an android?”

"Yes."

"Well… yeah, I guess I am…"

He suspected that his tactic would be called ridiculous at best. Though Kurou also suspected that was not such a bad thing, given the situation. “You will never know if you jump.”

Crossing his arms, the response was unexpected. “That seems kinda unfair.”

"Does it?"

"Yeah."

The android didn’t see fit to argue. “There are many times in life when unfairness would seem to play a part. There remains control that you as an individual can take over the direction of your own life, however. None of the reasons that you have to end your life are unsolvable. There is still much to live for.”

"How can you say that?"

"Do you wish to know for certain whether or not I am an android?"

There was that frown again, arms still crossed. “Yeah. Yes, I do.”

Kurou extended his hand, but still took no steps forward. “Then please accompany me. I will do what is necessary to offer you proof of my existence. Save removing skin.”

It was silly. It was dumb, and the young man felt dumb in that moment, some crazy guy telling him he was an android or whatever. He glanced back to the ocean, to how remarkably high up he was with the promise he wouldn’t survive a fall. Heaving a sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and took a few steps toward the weirdo. “Not even to save someone’s life?”

"You have not met this particular engineer." Kurou assures, glad to open the roof’s door and step aside to follow the young man inside.


End file.
